Faded Memories
by Tsuyoii
Summary: A hidden route where the Mekakushi Dan never existed; but they were united in a mysterious school. A school where magic exists, and where secrets lay. Tsubomi Kido, your average high-schooler, is enrolled in this school, and fate intervenes; leading to the meeting of Shuuya Kano and Tsubomi Kido. (VERY OOC Kido, Eventual KanoKido, SetoMarry, etc, concentrated on KanoKido)
1. Chapter 1

"_A new route..  
__..where Mekakushi Dan never existed..  
__No matter how painful it is..  
__If I can save everyone, then I'll do so.  
__I'm sorry, Shuuya."_

* * *

_Chapter 1_

_Fateful Encounter_

* * *

"Tsubomi, time to get up!" Himari Kido shaked Tsubomi's body, pleading her to wake up. Tsubomi Kido could only mumble, telling her sister, 'Nine more minutes..' with a weird grin on her face. Himari could only sigh, before actually hitting her sister on her face with a thick book. "Wake up, Tsubomi Kido!" Himari demanded._  
_

"I-I'm sorry! G-Good morning, onee-san!" the peculiar green-haired lass greeted her older sister. Himari could only sigh once again, before shouting loudly. "It's already past 9:00 A.M, dear Tsubomi!" Himari snapped, her hands curling into a fist.

* * *

"I'm late.. I-I'm late!" Tsubomi panted as she continued sprinting, a toasted bread with jam spreaded on it in her mouth. "I even promised onee-san that I won't trouble her from now on.." Tsubomi sighed at herself in embarrassment, her cheeks flustered.

"I wonder how I'll get new friends.." Tsubomi asked herself, her clenched fist moving towards her chest. She could feel her heart pounding in both anxiety and excitement. "I doubt anyone would ever come approach someone like me.." Tsubomi frowned.

"I-I'M LATE, DAMN IT!" shouted a voice, which sounded very familiar. Tsubomi stopped in her tracks, and turned around so as to see who it was. There appeared a figure with blonde hair and other attractive features running towards her at a spectacular speed. This caused the two to collide. "U-Uwah! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" the blonde rose first, and offered help to the green-haired lass.

"Y-Yes.." Tsubomi accepted the help the blonde had given her, and the two smiled at each other. Their worries about being late had vanished in an instant. "I'm Momo Kisaragi. I'm sure.. you recognize me as an i-idol.." the blonde introduced herself as Momo Kisaragi, her cheeks a little red.

"M-Momo Kisaragi?! I-I'm Tsubomi Kido! I-I'm a big fan of yours!" Tsubomi introduced herself, feeling even more nervous. Momo could only gaze upon the girl's silky green hair, impressed by the sight of it. "Tsubomi-chan, you're so cut—Damn! I'm more late, catch you later, Tsubomi-chan!" Momo leaped forward, waving at Tsubomi with a cheerful smile.

Tsubomi could only blush a little upon hearing her name being called with a '-chan'. She then looked around, realizing that what the blonde had said was right. She panicked; and rushed as well.

* * *

"Marry Kozakura." the teacher called, and a petite white-haired girl who had fluffy hair stood from her seat in a rather panicked state. "Y-Yes! P-Present!" Marry replied, a little fidgety.

"Sssh, Kozakura, you don't have to be that scared." whispered a voice from beside her, and she turned towards him with a flustered face, and shouted a 'yes', which made the teacher in front sigh. "I-I'm sorry! Y-You're Seto..san.. right?" Marry asked the lad beside her, and he nodded in surprise.

"Eh, how did you know?" Kousuke Seto smiled at her kindly, and she could only squeak. "My name wasn't called out, was it?" Seto pondered. Marry shook her head, wondering of what she was supposed to say, "I-I saw your name on a paper!" Marry replied, and immediately settled down, taking in a deep breath. "Is that so.." Seto chuckled at her answer, visibly buying her excuse.

"Tsubomi Kido." the teacher called, and there was no answer. The teacher repeated the name twice, then thrice, only to get no answer. "Where is Tsubomi Kido? Tsubomi Kido?" the teacher repeated again and again, only to receive an answer at the 9th call. "I'm here!" said a voice.

"Oh, so you're Tsubomi Kido. You were absent yesterday, so may I have a consent letter regarding your absence?" the teacher requested, and Kido nodded profusely, and looked around. "Your seat will be next to Kozakura's seat, which is also beside Kano's. It's the empty seat at the back there."

"Y-Yes!" Tsubomi nodded nervosly, and rushed to her respective seat, only to trip on the way, earning the laughter on many. She was more flustered this time, and immediately rose and sat on her chair, her face red as a tomato. "Da—Kido..san, a-are you alright?" Marry asked from her seat, smiling warm-heartedly. Tsubomi smiled back, nodding calmly.

* * *

"Since Kido is somewhat new here, Kano, please show her around the school compound." the teacher instructed, and the blonde sitting beside the window nodded silently with a visible frown. "I'll leave her in your care then, Kano." the teacher walked out of the class, along with the other students, leaving Tsubomi, Marry, Kousuke and Shuuya Kano in the classroom.

"Shuuya, you sure you can handle this? I'll do it in your stead if you'd like." Kousuke suggested, smiling kindly. Shuuya could only shake his head with a smile, which seemed like a mask. "..If that's what you say. By the way, Kido, I'm Kousuke Seto. That's Shuuya Kano."

"I-I'm Tsubomi Kido! Thank you for your help!" Tsubomi bowed profusely, her face a little red out of embarrassment. Kousuke could only laugh at her actions. "You're just like Kozakura, maybe Kozakura No.2?" He earned a glare from Marry thanks to this.

"Well, you can just call me Shuuya, don't have to be so bashful." Shuuya smiled at the lass, patting her. Her face was more red this time. "Could I call you Tsubomi then? It's a nice name." Tsubomi nodded, smiling warmly at the lad's direction. "That's settled then, Tsubomi-chan." the two smiled at each other, which made Kousuke somewhat happy.

"Seto..san, why are you happy all of a sudden? I mean, you're often happy all the time, but this time.." Marry asked, curious of Kousuke's sudden increase in emotion. Kousuke could only glance over at Marry with his usual smile. "It's because it's just rare to see Shuuya smiling." Marry could only slightly tilt her head, just like a dog, which infatuated Kousuke at first sight. "What do you mean..? Doesn't Kano-san smile everytime?" Kousuke frowned as he shook his head.

"It may look like that, but on the inside.. Nevermind, it's nothing." Kousuke turned his frown into a smile, patting Marry's head. He laughed at how fluffy it felt. "Your hair sure is fluffy. You can call me whatever you want too, okay?" Kousuke stated, and the lass could only nod with a smile.

* * *

"Tsubomi-chan, do you know of magic?" Shuuya asked the green-haired lass, only to earn a 'no' in reply. "Is that so? Well, in this school, there are some who can perform magic, and some others who can't. I can do it too, along with Kousuke." Shuuya explained to the confused lass. "Like this."

In an instant, there appeared a small fire in Shuuya's right hand, and Tsubomi could only gape, impressed of the such action. "This isn't really my main magic.. As for that, it's a secret." Shuuya moved his finger to his lips, and Tsubomi widened her eyes, as it had reminded her of something she didn't know. "You better not try magic if you know you can't." Shuuya warned with serious eyes, which managed to send chills down Tsubomi's spine.

"Perhaps, it's the magic to deceive..?" Upon hearing Tsubomi's question, Shuuya's eyes widened, and he immediately gritted his teeth, grabbing Tsubomi's collar in an instant. "How the hell did you know..? Answer me!" Shuuya's eyes had suddenly turned red, and Tsubomi was unable to scream, no matter how scared she was. She didn't even know how she knew; she said it unconsciously.

"Stop that now, Shuuya!" a sudden gush of wind rushed through them, lifting Tsubomi's skirt up, which made her flustered. This act also made Shuuya release his grip over Tsubomi's collar. "What.. just happened..?" Shuuya asked himself, his eyes back to normal. A lad with black hair walked in, with his uniform under a red jersey.

"Are you okay? I'm Shintaro Kisaragi, a senior." Shintaro Kisaragi helped Tsubomi up, to which she thanked him for, but still felt a little flustered about her skirt. Shuuya's eyes widened at the sight of Shintaro. "Shintaro.. why are you here..? Didn't you lock yourself up..?" Shuuya asked.

"I did, but I decided to return to check some things I left here." Shintaro stated, and in that instant, he had pulled out a phone from his pocket. "Is it about.. _her_?" Shuuya asked in a rather doubtful tone, and Shintaro nodded silently. "Yes, _her _and this other serious matter.. Don't get in my way; I'm sure _she _wouldn't want you involved in this."

"Nor you!" Shuuya snapped, and Shintaro could only ignore him. "I did this, so it's my responsibility." and the latter walked away, leaving Shuuya and Tsubomi alone. Shuuya gritted his teeth, his eyes showing wrath. "Um.. we can continue this tour tomorrow, right..?" Tsubomi gripped Shuuya's hand tightly, her face showing a red glow.

"Ah.. yeah.." Shuuya faced the lass with a warm-hearted smile, which was obviously fake in Tsubomi's eyes, but she just bought it. "See you tomorrow then, Shuuya!" Shuuya nodded, and waved at her as she waved at him.

"_At this rate, I'll disappear!" _Shuuya's eyes widened at the sudden vision he had upon watching Tsubomi walk away. "What was that..?"


	2. Chapter 2

"_If I could ever see that red once again.  
__Will I still be like this?  
__Are you angry that I'm like this?  
__Why do I feel like,  
__I've forgotten something very important?  
__More important than you..?"_

_"Why..?"_

* * *

_Chapter 2_

_Hope or Despair_

* * *

"Seems like we'll be having a magic exam.." Kousuke sighed, throwing the empty soda can in his hand into the trash can from where he sat. Marry, who was right beside him, was still enjoying her orange juice, clueless of the dangers of the such exam. "Is there something wrong with the magic exam..?" Tsubomi asked, also enjoying her homemade lunch box.

"Nah, maybe it's just Shuuya who I'm concerned about." Kousuke replied to Tsubomi's questions, smiling kindly; but deep inside, there was a lot of concern in his heart. "Shuuya also seemed kind of off when he returned yesterday, did anything happen?" Kousuke asked Tsubomi, who could only blink at the black-haired lad.

"Uh, yes.. And do you live with Shuuya?" Tsubomi questioned, slightly smiling. Kousuke nodded at her question. "Well, we met a senior called Shintaro Kisaragi.. and I.. don't know.. I asked if his magic was a magic that could deceive people.." Tsubomi tried explaining. "Shintaro Kisaragi.. I wonder who he is.. You must be kind of curious about me and Shuuya, judging by how you two are looking at me so intently." Kousuke chuckled at the gazes he received, only to receive a tap on his shoulder from the back.

"Yo, what you guys chatting about?" a happy Shuuya took a seat beside Kousuke, and placed his arms over Kousuke's shoulder. "Ah, Shuuya, are you okay?" Tsubomi asked, worried about the blonde. Shuuya could only nod with a happy expression. "Duh. But seriously, are you okay? I mean, that Shintaro guy, he lifted your skirt." Tsubomi's face immediately turned red.

"Well, if you're talking about me and Kousuke living together, then, let's just say that we're not from this district. Instead, we came here from elsewhere, so we rented a house to stay in. Our families are friends." Shuuya explained clearly, and Tsubomi nodded in understanding; but apparently, Marry was in her own world of imagination. "Anyways! Kisaragi-san's holding a concert again! I'm seriously going!" Shuuya grinned, clenching his fists.

"Momo Kisaragi..? W-Where?!" Tsubomi asked excitedly. Shuuya's grin turned into a rather mischievous one as he replied. "Did you know that this school is where Kisaragi-san schools..? The school requested for a contest this Saturday at the gymnasium.." Tsubomi's heart started pounding even faster, and now she was even more excited.

"M-Must be why I bumped into her on the way to school!" Tsubomi gaped, and the three others present stared at her with jealousy in their eyes. "I'm lucky I even befriended her.." Tsubomi smiled proudly, and there appeared Momo Kisaragi, the girl they were just talking about. "Ah, Tsubomi-chan! It's been such a while!" the four students could only widen their eyes at the sight of Momo.

"I-Is that really you, Kisaragi-san?!" Marry held Momo's hand tightly, her face red. Momo nodded, flustered by how cute Marry looked. "U-Uwah! T-This is the first time I've seen you in person!" Marry's grip became even tighter.

"Ehehe.. sorry.. but I'm kind of in a rush.." Momo scratched her head nervously, and Marry immediately released her grip over Momo's hands. "Well.. I'm actually looking for my brother.." Shuuya's eyes immediately widened.

"Kisaragi-san's brother.. Kisaragi.. Shintaro Kisaragi..? W-What?!" Tsubomi gaped in surprise, and Momo was also surprised by how Tsubomi knew of Shintaro; her own brother. "T-Tsubomi-chan, you know him?! Have you seen him anywhere?!" Momo asked desperately, and Tsubomi could only shake her head. Momo sighed in disappointment, her facial expression showing depression.

"Shintaro is your brother, huh.." Shuuya gazed at the blonde, who nodded at his question. "You must have been that girl who was always trying to chase him.." Shuuya teased, and Momo blushed fiercely upon being teased. "Y-You know onii-chan?! Don't tell me you're Ayano-san's brother!"

"Ayano..?" Tsubomi asked, curious. Shuuya, on the other hand, widened his eyes upon hearing the very name of his sister. ".." Kousuke immediately intervened, gently pushing Momo away. "Alright, you better hurry, Kisaragi-san. We'll let you know if we see Shintaro-san." Momo thanked the black-haired lad in advance, and left as told.

"We better hurry to class, recess is nearly over." Kousuke suggested, placing his hand on Shuuya's back, bringing him with him to their classroom, leaving Marry and Tsubomi alone, still eating their lunch. "Shuuya does act weird often.." Tsubomi said to herself, and sighed.

* * *

"Seto-san, have you seen Shuuya anywhere?" Tsubomi asked, rushing to the black-haired lad who was loitering around the corridors. He blinked at her, and shook his head. "Shuuya? I don't recall seeing him anywhere. Why, what happened?"

"I'm just worried about him.. Will he be okay?" Tsubomi questioned, a frown showing on her face. Kousuke could only frown in return, also somewhat concerned about his best friend. "Hey, Kido, would you like to know about Shuuya?" Upon being asked the such question, Tsubomi widened her eyes, and nodded.

* * *

"Shuuya had an adoptive older sister, you see." Kousuke stated, his hands busy holding two cans of soda. He passed one of them to Tsubomi, "You alright with soda?" Tsubomi nodded.

"Shuuya is actually an orphan, his mother died when some robbers trespassed his apartment. He was put into an orphanage by his aunty, who not want to take him in." Kousuke explained, taking a sip of his soda. Tsubomi did the same, using both of her hands unlike Kousuke who only used one hand. "The Tateyama family happily took him in. The sole child of that family was a very kind girl, and her name was Ayano Tateyama. She treated him as though he was her real younger brother."

"In addition to that, it was so obvious that Shuuya was in love with her, although she was two years older. But unfortunately, she was in love with another guy; I don't know who he is, but Shuuya probably knows." Kousuke scratched his cheek, realizing that he had just broke the secret of his best friend. "That's supposed to be a secret, so shush. Well, continuing, something terrible happened, which made Shuuya the way he is now; often using his magic to deceive everyone."

"What happened?" Tsubomi asked, tilting her head. Kousuke could only gaze at the floor, depressed. "I don't know.. but, something happened to Ayano-san." Kousuke replied in a rather sad tone.

"..Is that so.." Tsubomi muttered, and gazed at the floor too. "I can't help him, can I..?" Tsubomi asked, to which Kousuke replied with a 'no', which made her even more depressed. Fortunately, Tsubomi managed to find a topic to continue the conversation.

"Seto-san, could I know more about magic, and also about Shuuya's magic?" Tsubomi requested, earning a look from Kousuke; then a chuckle. "Sure, my magic is to read people's minds. Basic magic is the elemental magic; fire, ice, water, grass, wind and earth. There's a rumor that one of the seniors has mastered all these elements flawlessly, but has no maxime magic; which is also known as one's main magic. As I said earlier, my maxime magic is to read people's minds."

"And, Shuuya's one is to deceive. He can make people see the fake him; his deceiving magic resembles an illusion. What people see right now, the him right now, is most probably fake. He can change one's view of him easily." Kousuke thoroughly explained. "Take this as an example; if you go to a night club and you see a crossdresser; a crossdresser who 100% looks like a girl; Yes, he can do that."

"..That seems useful.. So you're saying that he uses it everytime?" Tsubomi finished her soda, and threw it into the rubbish can which was right beside her. Kousuke nodded at her question, and Tsubomi could only look away. "Thanks for telling me.. Seto-san.." Kousuke smiled at her warmly, "Just call me Kousuke. Could I call you Tsubomi?"

"Ah sure." Tsubomi turned towards the lad, and nodded in return. "By the way, the concert is next week, on the Saturday night of next week. You can get the tickets from the school convenience store; I'm not sure if it's pricey or not though. And also, we'll be having a magic exam on this Friday; I heard some rumors of it being dangerous, so becareful." Kousuke reminded the green-haired lass, to which she thanked him for.

"_Thanks, Seto. Now all we have to do is make that idiot remember that he has us."_ Kousuke widened his eyes upon hearing a familiar voice, and looked at Tsubomi who was eyeing him with admiration. "Hey Tsubomi, did you say something?" he asked, to which she shook her head to. "Oh, is that so.." Kousuke laughed, assuming that it was just his imagination.


	3. Chapter 3

"_Why did you choose that fearful route?  
__You could have chosen the good end,  
__But, you still wanted to revive her,  
__I respect your decision, but."_

_"How about you?"_

* * *

_Chapter 3_

_Maxime Magic_

* * *

"Kozakura-chan, catch!" Tsubomi threw the ball at Marry's direction; and Marry chased after it, only to be hit on the head instead of catching it. "K-Kozakura-chan, are you alright?!" Tsubomi asked, worried of the petite white-haired girl. She nodded back at her, smiling clumsily.

"Are you alright, you two? You do know we'll be having a magic exam on Friday.." the teacher, Takane Enomoto, walked towards the two girls, who nodded at her direction in reply. "Are you sure? You do know that if you're bad at physical activities, you'll have trouble in magic too." Takane reminded them, to which Marry shivered at. "Well, as for Kido, you're good at physical education."

"I-I'll try my best, Enomoto-sensei!" the petite girl declared, and the twin-tailed teacher could only smile. "That's the spirit, Kozakura. Let's practice with 100 serves!" the two girls squeaked at the said demand, and the boys who were sitting on the bench could only laugh.

"Hey, Shuuya, you feeling okay?" Kousuke asked, smiling kindly at the blonde, who still felt a little depressed. And then, another sigh. "Still depressed about yesterday, eh." Kousuke sighed as well, gazing up at the sky as he stretched.

"Yeah.. the shop was out of strawberry ice-cream, so I bought the banana flavored one.. Just as I was about to taste it, it fell down on a cat, and it started chasing me.. Then I slipped and fell into a river.. No one bothered to help me.." Shuuya yawned. "I managed to get back early; you weren't there, so I cooked my own food.. It turned out to be burnt strawberries, so I ate it with rice.. It was wful. I was trying my best to finish my food till I found out that I had already missed my show, so I waited for the encore which was at 3:00 A.M.. Then—.."

"..Is that so.." Kousuke cut the lad's speech before he could continue, dumbfounded.

* * *

"Shuuya!" Tsubomi called from where she stood, her face showing a bright smile. Shuuya could only glance over at her with a gape; which quickly turned into a smile. "You seem somewhat down, want to get some ice-cream? Kozakura-chan's down too. I know this really good ice-cream parlor!"

"Sounds interesting." Kousuke interrupted, placing his hand on Shuuya's shoulder. "Shuuya's coming too, right?" Kousuke smiled at Shuuya's direction, which sent chills down Shuuya's spine. He knew that he was forced to accept, or he'd probably die. "Y-Yeah.." Shuuya gulped, still trying his best to avoid Kousuke's gaze.

"There you are, Kido-san!" Marry rushed to the green-haired lad in a rather clumsy way, and nearly fell; but fortunately, Kousuke had managed to catch her. Upon making eye contact with the tall lad, she couldn't help but blush, and immediately moved away. "I-I'm sorry.. S-So.. is everyone here going?" Marry tilted her head.

"Yep. Today's my treat day anyway." Tsubomi grinned, and held Shuuya's hand tightly. "Stop feeling down, Shuuya! I'm sure the odds will be in your favor today." Tsubomi tried to say a quote she liked in a movie, which the three managed to understand. Shuuya could only smile, holding Tsubomi's hand tightly too.

* * *

"Woah, it's so packed.." Tsubomi sighed at the sight of the packed line. It was long; but in Tsubomi's eyes, it was too long. But in the three others' eyes, it wasn't that long. Shuuya didn't hesitate to get into the line before anyone took the line. "Better hurry to the line before the strawberry ice-cream finishes." Shuuya suggested, winking. The three others joined him in the line, and decided to chat as they waited for their turn.

"Say, Kozakura, have you tried using magic yet? Judging by your physical performance, I wonder if you could actually use magic." Kousuke asked, and the petite girl could only flinch. Marry then shivered at the question; doubtful of her ability to use magic. "There are also cases where one might be good at physical education, but can't use magic." Kousuke told Tsubomi, who had easily lost her confidence upon being told so. "But, the chances of failing are 0.0001% anyway."

"Do you two even know how to use magic?" Shuuya wanted to seriously laugh at the sight of the two trembling, which made Marry glare at him; and all of a sudden, he had froze. The two could only stare at him, and Kousuke tapped him, only to receive no response. "Was it just me, or did I just see Kozakura's eyes turn red?" Kousuke asked, and Tsubomi could only nod.

"That's awesome, Kozakura-chan! That must be your maxime magic..! It's just so awesome!" Tsubomi hugged the petite girl, who smiled back with a tint of red on her face. "So it'll only be activated if Shuuya makes her pissed, huh?" Kousuke couldn't hold in his laughter too, only to be frozen by Marry, just like Shuuya.

"Oh, it's our turn, what flavor do you want, Kozakura-chan?" Marry looked at the menu, and chose the strawberry flavored. Tsubomi, who wanted to treat the temporarily frozen Kousuke and Shuuya, decided to order them a chocolate flavored ice-cream and a strawberry flavored ice-cream respectively. "Ah, and I'll get another strawberry flavored ice-cream and also a chocolate one. I'll get chocolate for myself too." Tsubomi requested; and in less than two minutes, the orders were ready. At that moment where Tsubomi paid, the magic used on the two was disabled.

"I see ice-cream..!" Shuuya, not thinking of anything else, rushed to Tsubomi, who was holding his ice-cream in her hand. She kindly passed it to him without saying anything, and also passed the other one to Kousuke. "I don't really know your favorite flavors, but I hope you're fine with this." Tsubomi took a bite of her ice-cream happily.

"This ice-cream.. tastes somewhat familiar.." Kousuke said aloud. The two others could only nod at his statement. Tsubomi on the other hand could only tilt her head in curiosity. "I'm positive that I've never come here.. But this unique taste.. Where have I tasted this?" Shuuya asked himself aloud.

"You people are probably just being weird since this is your first time tasting this ice-cream." Tsubomi laughed, and the two lads could only nod at her in agreement. But, Marry was staring at her with rather concerned eyes, though this was left unnoticed. "I'm kind of bored, do you guys want to go somewhere else?" Tsubomi suggested, and Shuuya raised his hand.

"Let's go to the arcade!" Shuuya suggested, grinning. "Our battle hasn't ended yet, Kousuke!" the two lads glared at each other, emitting some competitive aura. The two girls could only chuckle from where they stood. "I-I'm quite busy.. so I have to leave now.." Marry interrupted, realizing that she had some business to attend to.

"Ah wait, I forgot about the chores.." Tsubomi stopped chuckling, and punched her head softly. "You guys have your fun, I'll go with Marry. See ya!" the two lads waved at the girls with a gentleman-like smile, and the girls could only wave back at them cheerfully.

* * *

"So it seems like you can use magic, huh?" Tsubomi smiled at the petite girl, who nervously nodded. "I wonder about me.. I hope I can use magic.. Or I'll probably be left out by you guys.." Tsubomi sighed, doubtful of herself.

"Kido-san, I don't think we'll ever leave you out." Marry smiled at her warmly, and Tsubomi could only nod at her petite friend. "Why don't we try out your magic here?" Marry suggested, to which Tsubomi agreed to. "But the question is.. how do we actually use magic..?" Marry asked, leaving the two girls dumbfounded. That was until a figure passed by.

"Seems like you two are practicing magic." the figure, who was revealed to be Shintaro Kisaragi (thanks to his red jersey), approached the two girls. Marry could only widen her eyes at the sight of Shintaro. "Kisaragi-san?! W-What are you doing here?" Tsubomi asked, pushing her skirt down to her knees. He could only sigh at her action.

"I'm only here because I sensed a strange presence." Shintaro looked at the two and observed them carefully. "So there is no doubt that you are her.. I see.. So that's why.." Shintaro took in a deep breath, though he was interrupted by a desperate Tsubomi.

"U-Uh, Kisaragi-san.. C-Could you please help me?!" Tsubomi requested, tugging onto Shintaro's jersey. He could only blink at her; then a laugh came. "Sure sure, magic eh. I can only help you out with your basic elements, but not maxime. You'll have to know how to activate your maxime magic yourself; that's if if you have it or not." Shintaro tapped the girl's shoulder.

"What's your name?" Shintaro asked, smiling a rather unusual smile; it was probably a rare sight for people who knew him. "T-Tsubomi Kido!" Tsubomi said her name out loud, which surprised Shintaro a little. "Tsubomi.. Kido.. it sounds somewhat familiar.." Shintaro said to himself.

"Oh well, now then Kido, image this; your heart is trapped in a cave of ice, and there is no way out." Shintaro whispered softly, and Marry, who was still a little surprised, decided that it was best to just walk away. But, just as she was about to run, she had bumped into a barrier which was apparently prepared by Shintaro in advance. "I'm sorry, dear Queen, but you can't escape." Shintaro gazed at the petite girl with a smirk. She could only flinch upon the sight of the malicious smirk. Tsubomi, who was still focused on her magic, didn't notice the fact that they were both trapped.

"So then, all you have to do now is turn your image into reality." Shintaro continued, ignoring Marry's pleads to let her out. Tsubomi took in a deep breath, now concentrated in her magic, and attempted to do as Shintaro said; only to end up in a failure. "Ah, that's too bad. Maybe that was too complex. Now try imaging a small fire, and turn it into reality." Shintaro suggested.

And yet again, it failed. Shintaro could only sigh at her countless attempts. "I guess you can't use magic, huh.. I wonder about your maxime magic." Shintaro patted the girl's head. Tsubomi was now on the floor, all depressed and doubtful. "Maybe you are right.. I wonder how I'll catch up.." Tsubomi sighed, feeling hopeless.

"Now then, I better take my leave. I'll be taking the Queen with me." Shintaro hit Marry's nape, and she fell on the ground, unconscious. "K-Kozakura-chan!" Tsubomi called.

"Shintaro Kisaragi, halt!" a figure kicked the barrier, shattering it into pieces. The figure was revealed to be the two's twin-tailed teacher, Takane Enomoto, who was now panting in exhaustion. "I've finally found you.. after those two years.. Where were you?!" Takane asked, smiling brightly with her eyes sparkling in happiness, but unfortunately, her happiness didn't last long as Shintaro had teleported behind her; only to be stopped by Kousuke.

"Where are you bringing Kozakura?!" Kousuke snatched Marry away from Shintaro's grip, and as he escaped, Shuuya interrupted and casted a major fire spell. "Take that!" Shuuya shouted, and with all his might, he targeted the fire tornado at Shintaro's direction; but the latter wasn't surprised nor scared. He undid the spell easily. "Stop getting in my way for god's sake.. I'll return sometime later, so get ready." Shintaro sighed, teleporting away.

"Damn, Shintaro! Where the heck are you going?!" Takane tried to undo Shintaro's teleportation, only to end up in failure. Marry, who was still unconscious, was gently laid on the ground. "Kozakura! Kozakura! Get up!" Kousuke begged, shaking her body.

"She's just unconscious, don't freak out, Kousuke." Shuuya tapped Kousuke's shoulder, and Kousuke could only agree to Shuuya's claim. Shuuya then averted his gaze to Tsubomi, who was on the ground. "Tsubomi-chan, are you okay?" Shuuya asked, attending to the girl, who didn't respond. "Tsubomi-chan..? Tsubomi-chan?" Shuuya shaked the girl's body, yet there was no response.

"I'm hopeless.. I couldn't even save Kozakura-chan.." Tsubomi told herself, laughing at herself in shame too. Shuuya, who was immediately reminded of his own sister, gripped her arms. "So what if you're hopeless..? Leave it to me and Kousuke to protect you and Kozakura." Shuuya's grip on Tsubomi's arms became even tighter.

"Just please, just don't say something like that." Shuuya forced Tsubomi into a gentle embrace, and Tsubomi could only cry on his shoulder. Takane approached the group of students, and sighed. "I'm sorry I was late. I just can't believe that Shintaro is here.." Takane gazed at the floor blankly. "Even though it's now quite late, would you like to talk at my place?" Takane kindly suggested.

"Well, Tsubomi-chan and Kozakura don't look too good, so why not?" Shuuya smiled at the teacher's invitation with Tsubomi still crying on his shoulder agreeing to it. "But, what I really want to know more about is Shintaro Kisaragi." Shuuya's eyes narrowed, sending chills down Takane's spine.

"..Alright, I guess it's best to just tell you all about that idiot." Takane sighed in defeat, and turned around. "Seto, Kano, please do me a favor. Carry those girls into the car." Takane demanded as if she was kidnapping the girls.


End file.
